Bushwhack Racing

[Neil]

Here's a new one. Bushwhack racing. The classification sysytem becomes more important... It might be hard for a cameraman to swivel and follow contestants as they grovel on by. OTOH, It might be hard to convince the networks that there's any money in bushwhack racing. Censors would certailnly be in demand. One thing for sure you could endlessly vary the racing conditions. I'd love to see a bunch of people race up through the cripplebrush on East Dix. An interesting variation would be to make some contestants drag or carry cumbersome objects or have one or both hands tied behind their backs or around one ankle. People could also race as teams. I think this could take off...(P.S. I heard they tried downhill talus racing in Colorado but it never got off the ground)

 

[Raymond]

Seems needlessly destructive, to me.

 

[REK]

Its called orienteering

 

[Neil]

Seems needlessly destructive, to me.

To you or to the environment?

 

[Jay H]

REK beat me to it, they already have bushwack racing... Or you can do some adventure races, they'll usually include sections of orienteering. Don't wear shorts, or wear low gaiters. My first 12 hour adventure race I did, I wore shorts and my legs were so cut up, I still have scars on them. In fact, one of the mandatory pieces of equipment was duct tape. And I eventually used that to tape up my shins from getting mashed to pulp halfway through the race. Worked good though!

jay

 

[Mark Schaefer]

To you or to the environment?

Answer: Yes. Racing is fine when you are on established trails or herd paths. You can clearly see where you're stepping and can easily avoid trampling the environment. Going too fast in truly off trail areas may also injure you. I twisted both ankles this July whacking too fast through a tall fern patch. I failed to see the blowdowns hidden by the ferns. I had no trouble completing the whack, but both ankles later swelled up and I was out of commission for about three weeks.

While frequently on business in France in the mid 1980s I remember seeing a TV show in which the participants were engaged in activities like mountain climbing, race orienteering, marathon running, etc. while having to answer trivia questions. It was hilarious, but oh the carnage to the environment, participants, and video photographers..

 

[bigmoose]

You could have a whole schedule of teams in the "Bush League."
You'd need a sponsor, of course...Busch Beer would be a likely choice.
Perhaps President Bush could throw out the first handful of spruce needles (if he's still in office).

 

[bruno]

i'd bet on ospreyboya in any 'whackin' race! he knows what's what! findin' skeletons and all! whewwwww!!!!

 

[KZKlimber]

How to train for bushwhack racing

Run on the treadmill at the gym while people hit you with tree branches.

 

[Peakbagr]

That is such a perfect answer. I was laughing so hard I almost fell off my chair